This girl has a passion for fitness and living life well. She has a plan to move to California to live in the rays, while she’s already spent a semester abroad in Australia. But for Meredith Bond, fitness is at the pinnacle of living any life well. She is Zumba certified and teaches group fitness classes at the TRECS for…fun!
Her Campus: How did you become so interested in fitness, and then wanting to teach it?
Meredith Bond: I guess it originally routes back to being on a high school dance team and always having a personal trainer in the off season. I first tried Zumba a few years ago at home and fell in love with it; it’s the perfect outlet for the “retired dancer.” I just recently started teaching all other types of classes (Body Sculpt, Cycling, Body Blast Boot Camp, etc.). It’s always great to vary your workouts to keep your body guessing — that’s what gets you results!
HC: Where does your inspiration come from when you plan a routine for a class?
MB: As far as my Zumba classes go I turn to my regulars [students]. I know which dances they like best – but I try to mix fan favorites with a couple new routines, different styles, and varying intensity levels to get the best hour workout possible. With my other classes, I try to make each class different to keep the students [and their body’s] guessing. I always do workouts that I enjoy doing as well as teaching– I make them tough enough to make you feel it the next day, but not too tough to scare anyone away! Group fitness is all about your students so a lot of times I turn to them for input.
HC: What kinds of fitness or exercises are you really interested in but haven’t gotten to try yet? Any certifications you still want to get?
MB: I have never liked yoga since I am into high-intensity, high-energy exercises but I really want to start to get into it and eventually learn to love it. The most recent addition to the world of fitness is Barre—it’s a combination of yoga, pilates, and ballet and I am dying to give it a try! I am currently studying for the American Council on Exercise [ACE] Group Fitness Instructor certification and I eventually would like to get my personal trainer certification.
HC: Why do you think health and being active is so important? How has it changed you?
MB: The physical benefits are the inevitable, but you can reap an emotional benefit from a healthy, active lifestyle as well. When you start to feel good about yourself physically, it seems to go hand-in-hand with happiness and confidence. One thing I think a lot of people, especially females, lose site of is that skinny does not always equate to being fit and healthy. Just because you aren’t a size 0 and don’t look like Marisa Miller doesn’t mean you can’t be or aren’t already fit! For me, I love food! So when I work hard at the gym all week I don’t have an overwhelming guilt for indulging in chocolate [my vice] every so often. Again, I might not be runway ready but I know the hard work I put in at the gym is paying off – no diabetes, high blood pressure, or any other disease/disorder that can come with being unfit.
HC: Lastly, what’s your favorite thing to teach and why?
MB: Too tough to pick just one! Tell me to run a couple miles and I won’t exactly be too thrilled; tell me to do a few hours of Zumba and I couldn’t be happier – it’s my favorite way to incorporate cardio into the week! But, I love teaching Body Blast Boot Camp because I can play around with all types of exercises and equipment – dumbbells, running, steps, Bosu balls, barbells, ladders, stability balls, bands, hurdles… the sky is the limit with that class!!
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Tennessee chapter.